Pin retainer for draft keys



' July 26, 1949.

o. E. WILSON ET AL PIN RETAINER FOR DRAFT KEYS Filed Feb. 16, 1946 g inthe art.

patented July 26, 194

om E. Wilson, Peru, Ind.,and William H. Sale, Sanston, Va., assignors toT-ZRailway Equipment 00., Chicago, 111., a corporation of IllinoisApplication February 1.6, 1946, Serial No. 648,066 9 Claims. (01.ale-40.5

The invention relates to draft gear for railway cars and moreparticularly to devices for preventing displacement from the draft keybetween -the yoke and draw bar, of a retainer pin which holds the key inthe draft sill of the car underframe.

One object of the invention is to provide simple and reliable means forpreventing displacement of the retainer pin from the draft key.

Another object of the invention is to provide a simple device, includingan angular slotted plate which is adapted to be permanently secured tothe center or draft sill for preventing disconnection of the retainerpin from the key.

Another object of the invention is to provide ;a simple device forpreventing displacement of the retainer pin from the draft key, whichcan be economically fabricated and is eflicient in service.

Other objects of the invention will appear from the detaileddescription. The invention consists in the several features hereinafterset forth and more particularly defined by claims at the conclusionhereof.

In the drawings:

Fig, 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a draft gear with theinvention applied thereto.

Fig. 2 is a transverse section taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a section taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a perspective of the plate for preventing displacement of theretainer pin from the draft key.

Fig. 5 is a perspective of the retainer pin.

The invention is exemplified with draft rigging which comprises achannel shaped center or draft sill In which usually forms a part of thecar underframe; a draw bar l2 anda yoke l6 which are disposed andsuitably mounted in the sill ID for cushioned movement, all of which maybe of standard construction, as well understood A draft key [8 which isusually flat in crosssection with rounded edges extends transverselythrough draw bar l2, yoke I6, elongated slots l in sill In forpermitting movement of the draft gear in the sill for cushionedmovement, as well understood in the art. The sides of the sill aroundslots20 are re-inforced by plates I9 which are usually riveted to theinner faces of the sides of the sill. Key 3 is of sufiicient length toproject from the sides of the sill and is provided at one end with anintegral head 2! and adjacent its other end with a cylindrical hole 22for the reception of a retaining pin which includes 55;

a cylindrical shank 24 and an elongated head 26 which is adapted to reston the top face of the key by gravity for holding the shank 24 in thehole 22 of said key.

The invention comprises a plate, generally designated 21, and stampedfrom sheet metal, for preventing displacement of the retaining pin fromthe draft key while the draft gear is in service. Plate 21 includes anupstanding flange or member 28 which is suitably secured by rivets 29 orby welding. to the outer side ,face of one side of draft sill I0 and anintegral horizontally extending flange or member 30 which overlies theend portion of key l8 which projects from the sill and has a hole 22formed therein. The horizontal flange 30 of plate 21 is provided with alongitudinally elongated slot 32 which conforms substantially to thecontour of elongated head 26 of the retaining pin and through which saidhead is adapted to pass only when it is positioned longitudinally of thesill. A transversely extending slot 34 is cut through in flange 30 andcommunicates with slot 32 and its outer end is open to provide a sideopening in plate '21 through which shank 24 of the retaining pin can beshifted laterally toward the sill, While head 26 rests or is positionedover the horizontal flange 30 of plate 21. When head 26 of the retainingpin is in vertical registry with the elongated slot 32 in member 30,head 26 will drop through slot 32 and onto the draft keylB in which itwill be held by gravity. The horizontal member .30 of the retainingplate 21 is disposed sufliciently close to draft key [8 so that shank 24of the retaining pin will be retained in the draft key against upwarddisplacement fromsaid key, except when the head 26 of the retaining pinis in vertical registry with the elongated slot 32 in plate 21.

While the draft gear is in service, keylB and the retaining pin aresubjected to movement relatively to sill I0 and plate 21 and theretaining pin is free to rotate in the draft key, which eliminates thelikelihood of all portions of head .26 of the retaining pin beingvertically aligned with slot 32 in plate 21. For additionally insuringthe displacement of the retaining pin from key I8, plate '21 is providedwith an upstruck tongue 36- formed along the inner edge of slot 32 inmember 30. Tongue 36 is joined at 31 to member 30 and its other end 38is flexible.

Tongue 36 is normally positionedto permitthe head 26 of the retainingpin to pass through slot 32in placing the pin in draft key I8. After thepin has been: placed in the draft key, the

end 38 of tongue 36 isbent outwardly to form an abutment which willprevent the head 26 of the retaining pin from passing upwardly throughslot 32. This effectively insures the retention of the retaining pinin'draft key and prevents its displacement during service. Preferably,plate 21 around member 30 is formed with an integral; dependingre4inforcingiflange 40 and is providedwithdndented angular" ribs 4|'in'and between members 28 and 30 for providing upward flexing of themember 30 of plate 21!. v

The invention exemplifies a slottedlplate which is adapted to be fixedlysecured to one side of the draft sill for effectively preventingdisplacement of the retaining pin from the' key. The plate is simple inconstruction and can be economically fabricated and installed on railwaycars. =In constructions heretofore used, it has been found that cotterpins when usedrto hold the retairiingpin in the key are frequentlysheared off and 10st and-, -therefore; are not reliable-"in service.

' The "invention is not to be understood as limited to the detailsdescribed, since these may be modified within the scope of the appended"claims without departing from the spirit and scope-of the invention.

--H-aving thus described the-*inventioni what we claim as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent is:

1. The combinationwith a" draft sill having an 30 "elongated slot, aconnecting keyfor adraw-bar and yoke, extending through theslot,"and'ha'ving Tone of its ends" provided Witha hole 'and'pro-"je'cting outwardly from the sill, anda retaining 'pin providedwithgashank adapted -to' extend "through the'holein the"key,-andaheadforsup- 1" porting the pin "in the key; :of a "plate fixed "at."one side of'the sill, overlying'the portion of the 1 key which carriesthe head of the pin, 'and'pro- ""vided with a slot" throughwhichiithe'head is adapted 'to' pass for insertion of the pin in the 'key, and witha side-slotthrough Which'thefshank "ofthe pin is adapted to pass, forpositioning'the *headin registry 'with'theslotfor the'head'in "theplateand means on'theplate for obstructing "'thetpassage of theheadthroughthe slot after the pin has been'in'serted in the key.

' 2: The combination with 'a'dra'ft'sill having an :e'long'ated'slot, ac'onnecting key' for adraw-bar .landyoke, extending through the slot,and,hav-

ing one or itsends provided with/a.liole and projecting outwardly fromthefsill, andfla retaining fp'in provided with a shank adapted to;extend ilthrough the hole invthe key and aheadfor-supporting the pin inthe key, of a plateifixed at one siderof the sill, overlying the portionoi-the-key which carries therpin and provided with a slot through whichthe head is adaptedto pass for insertion of the pin inthe key," andmeans on the plate for obstructing the upward passage of the headthrough the slot after thepinwhasasbeen inserted in the-key.

-3. The combination with a draft-isilli-havingaan elongated slot, aconnecting key "for a adraw-bara and yoke, extending through :thaslot,and having -one of itsends provided with a hole and. projectingoutwardly. fromthe sill and azretaining; pin

provided with ai-shank adapted-.toextend through the pin in the key, ofa plate fixed at one side of the sill, overlying the portion of the keywhich -=carries the-head of the pin, and provided with a slot throughwhich the head is adapted to pass for insertion of thepin in the key,and with a side-slot through which the shank of the pin is adapted topass, for positioning the head in registry with the .slotlfor the headin the plate, and means on the plate for obstructing the upward passageof the head through the plate after the pin has been inserted .in thekey.

- 51 The combination-with:axdraftssilli having an elongated slot, a'connecting keyi forzafdrawebar .and yoke, extending through: the.islot,.-i'andl.having e one of' its ends provided with a hole. and; prpjectingpoutwardly from the. .si1l,. and a retaining pin provided with ashank adapted to extend through the hole in the key: and aheadtiorsupporting the pin inthe key, of an angleieplate integrally:includ ing avertical memberfixd to .andiprtojectin'gmut- :warclly from one side; of:thee-sill; and'ra r-laterally .pr'oj ecting member overlying-theportion offthe :key which carries the pin tandrprovided :with a slotthrough whichthe head istadapted to pass for insertion-of :the pin: inthe key and with a 35 side-slot through whichLthe-shankptIthe' pin is,adapted toipass into "thee-slot forv-the headand means on the platefort obstructing the=passage :nf.theuhead'ithrough=the islot after-thepin has been inserted in the key.

40 ;-'6.'Theicombination with a draft' sill having an elongated slot, aconnecting 'keyfor a draw bar 1 and yoke extending through the -'sl'ot,-andhav- --ing..one.-of its ends providedwith a hole and projecting::outwardly from the =sil1',- and *a' retaining pin provided with a shank-adapted to ex- I tend through-thehole'inthe key and a head forsupporting .the pin inithe'key, ofan an-gle plate integrally including-avertical --member fixed to and projecting outwardly from one side of"the V sill, and: a laterally projecting-memberoverlying the portion ofthe 'key' which carries thepin and provided with aslot-throughwhic'shtheihead is adapted to pass for insertion of the pin--in the key,and-with: a side-slot through --whieli :the

.55 shank of the pin-is adaptedto pass intctheslot elongated slot,a"connectingkeyfor' a.,dra'w- -bar and yoke; extend-ing through-the;geanand through the slot and having one of its ends"pro--vided-with-a-holeoutwardly of the. jsi1l,"and a retaining pinprovided-with a shank adapted. to

pass through the hole in the-key and 1anfelon- "gated-headfor-supportingthe pin in' the ik'ey,"0f a plate fixed to the outside "of'one side of, theilsill and including a horizontally extending memberoverlying the-portion of the key which carries .the hole inthekeyzand'ahead for supporting the -VO the pin and provided-with alongitudinallyjelonpin-in the key, of. a plate fixed'at one side of theries the: pin, landuprovidedcwith a slot through which the headisadaptedto spassfor*-insertion of theapmsinithe key, and: integralmeans=on'-"-the =-'pin-=has been inserted'in' the key.

i gated =slot through which the'iheadlis adapted to 'pass for insertion'of. the pin in" the manna means on Jtheplate' .ioriohstructingithe.upward passage Offthfi head throughjthe "plateeafterl the 8. Thecombination with a draft sill having an elongated slot, a connecting keyfor a draw-bar and yoke extending through the gear and through the slotand having one of its ends provided with a hole outwardly of the sill,and a retaining pin provided with a shank adapted to pass through thehole in the key and an elongated head for supporting the head in thekey, of a plate fixed to the outside of one side of the sill andincluding a horizontally extending member overlying the portion of thekey which carries the pin and provided with a longitudinally elongatedslot through which the head is adapted to pass for insertion of the pinin the key and with a side opening through which the shank may beinserted in the slot and means on the plate for obstructing the passageof the head through the slot after the pin has been inserted in the key.

9. The combination with a draft sill having an elongated slot, aconnecting key for a drawbar and yoke extending through the slot andhaving one of its ends provided with a hole and projecting outwardlyfrom the sill, and a retaining pin provided with a shank adapted toextend through the hole in the key and a head for supporting the pin inthe key, of a plate integrally including a vertical member fixed to andpro- REFERENCES CITED The following referenlces are of record in thefile of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,248,586 Wood Dec. 4, 19171,268,991 Nash June 11, 1918 1,410,479 Ladd Mar. 21, 1922 1,680,330Geiger Aug. 14, 1928 1,761,266 Johnston et a1 June 3, 1930 1,864,842Lounsbury June 28, 1932 1,994,707 Hodges Mar. 19, 1935

